Forever
by Phedre no Delaunay
Summary: The senshi have been given the chance to live a life without fighting and without the knowledge of their past or future. The question is, can they keep from battle after meeting hitokiri battousai?


Authors Notes:  
  
Phèdre here, with my first SM/RK fic. Actually, Sin wrote this prologue, but she doesn't have time for this story with the Guardians' Myth, so I'm taking over. One thing I would like to point out: Sin and I have both seen the entirety of the Rurouni Kenshin series, movies and OVAs included. We know what happens, more than most. Please don't try to argue things with us unless you can say the same. We don't mind criticism, and in fact would prefer it to mindless reviews, but don't just flame without reason.  
  
Timeframe: In Sailor Moon, semi-AU. This prologue will explain everything you need to know. As for Rurouni Kenshin, it takes place shortly before the whole Kyoto deal. There will probably be some minor spoilers, but we will be following the series. You should be able to figure out what's going on.  
  
Disclaimer: We do not own any characters from Sailor Moon or Rurouni Kenshin. The only characters we own are those who you don't recognize. There will be few original characters, but we already have two planned out. You have been warned.  
  
soli barbari braccas gerunt.  
~Latin Club T-shirt  
  
Anyone who can translate this gets a cyber Pockey.  
  
***  
  
Prologue  
  
The images appeared gradually in the mists surrounding the gates of time, slowly presenting themselves to the lone guardian who stood in front of the silent monuments. She watched them without comment as they came and went, fading in and out of existence like the stars that vanish one day without a trace and are never seen again by human eyes. Each one was already ingrained upon her memory, sitting in the corners of her mind until she saw fit to put the pieces of the future together and examine the full picture. Until that time, however, they simply sat in her mind and gathered dust, forgotten for the time being, abandoned.  
  
Many of the reflections seen by the senshi of time had repeated themselves often enough throughout history. Others were seen once and never again, slipping away to be buried in the deep stream of time and left to rot in the darkness. The ones that came often were of leaders, fighters, those who would make a difference in the world large enough for one person to see when standing from afar. These were dominated by eight young women and a young man who reappeared, it seemed, with every second that passed.  
  
In some they were very young, in others they were much older. First they would be out enjoying a sunny day. Then they would be entombed in darkness as they fought an ancient evil standing side by side. There was despair in the pictures from the future, and sorrow, but also hope and joy and love, yes, much love. Whatever was said about these saviors it would always be known that they had hearts of blood that warmed to each other.  
  
The senshi of Pluto smiled softly at the girls in the images as they lived out day-to-day lives in between their desperate battles. She had known them once as her friends, her wards, as she had aided her queen in teaching them all they would one day need to know. Now she only watched from afar, through the veils of time in a place where time could never truly go. There was nothing she could do for their tears from where she stood, could only stand and watch with a burning ache in her heart as they found terror, and sadness a thousand years in the future. Out of her reach.  
  
Suddenly, without warning, the images began to change. Colors blended together and swirled into darkness before reappearing, reshaping themselves into something different. Each changed, one after the other down the line until they were filled with an alien, unknown destiny never before seen. The girls changed, separated from each other, spread far and wide and lost the aid of their magic as they entered a time when it was not needed. With a frown Pluto stepped toward them. Something was wrong.  
  
Lifting her staff to the mists that flowed around her, the senshi sent a silent command into the river of time. Immediately it responded, molding itself into the past that she had once been so certain of, the one she had stopped gazing at long ago. Her eyes followed the actions that had inspired the changes in the future, examining every detail for some sign of deviance from the written path. Nothing caught her attention. Frustrated, she cut off the images and turned to pass through the gates.  
  
"So you've noticed." Surprised, Pluto gave a deep bow, rising slowly when the translucent women before her did not speak again. Queen Serenity was looking at the new pictures, the reflections of the future that had somehow managed to change, and she was smiling.  
  
"My queen?" The ancient senshi trailed after her sovereign with a confused expression on her face. "My queen, do you know what has happened?"  
  
Serenity did not answer her for quite some time, merely stopped in front of the image of a young blonde woman smiling up at a handsome man. The tender look in her eyes deepened with tears until she looked away, fixing her pale gaze on her old friend.  
  
"I sent them to the wrong time." The answer was blunt, honest, brutal. Drawn up short, the senshi of Time could only stare at her queen, a measure of hurt in her eyes. When no further explanation was forthcoming, she opened her mouth to speak again.  
  
"My..."  
  
"You see, I looked into the future before everything happened." Queen Serenity cut her off with her own words, giving a faint sigh as she stared up at the shifting images that drifted carelessly in the mists. "I saw what their lives would be like when I sent them ahead in time, how they would lose so much in order to defeat the evil that followed them. My daughter won't want to fight you know, not at such a young age." The queen closed her eyes and tears leaked out from beneath her lashes. "When the time came I knew she would hate what she had to do, so I decided to change it."  
  
"Serenity." Pluto breathed, her eyes wide. "Without the senshi in the future...."  
  
"I've already thought of that." The queen cut her off once more. "They will live one hundred or so years before they were supposed to, have a real life if you will. Then, when they die of old age or illness or whatever may happen, I will send them ahead a little further and they will be born again into the time that will need them." She smiled sadly at her friend. "I just wanted them to be able to live, before they lost their lives to a cause." Turning back to the images she went quiet, leaving Pluto to watch her monarch in silent contemplation. No matter how long she waited however, the queen offered no further explanations. Silence reigned.  
  
***  
  
Well, what did you think? Like it? Hate it? Tell us what you think while we see about uploading chapter one. We prefer a review that lets us know how you liked the story. At this stage, not focusing much on plot is acceptable, but please, if you see grammar errors or people being OOC in the first few chapters, let us know. We want to keep everything straight, while still writing a good story. 


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